Young Ag Leaders: Connor McFadden, Conrad Weiser High School

A profile of one of the Berks region's young agriculturalists.

Written by Berks Country

Connor McFadden, 17, is a senior at Conrad Weiser High School who is involved in football, wrestling and track. He is vice president of the FFA chapter, and a member of the Bioscience and Technology Club, and Spanish Club. He is also the finance and registration head for the school's Mini-THON and a member of the National Honor Society.

Family: "I am the son of Brian and Heather McFadden and I reside in Wernersville. I currently share my home with my parents, three sisters, Natalie, Jocelyn and Violet; dog, Boomer, two cats, Casper and Juliet; and 15 hermit crabs."

Why I joined FFA: "I joined FFA for the ability to do more. My advisers, Mr. Adam Serfass and Mr. John Siefert, convinced me from the first day of high school that I could do more than I could have ever imagined. I looked at all of the state champions on the windows of the library and knew that I wanted to be one of them."

FFA activities: "I am currently serving as the vice president of the FFA. The vice president does not have a specific responsibility so I generally advise the members and officers, as well as take any pressure away from our president. I also do my best to ease any tension during meetings and assist underclassmen in their pursuits."

TODAY'S SPONSOR:

Proudest moment: "My proudest moment involved in the FFA was definitely winning states with my food science team. The (shock) that came after hearing our name called for first place was irreplaceable. After all of that hard work, my teammates and I pulled through and were blessed enough to then compete at the national level."

Influences: "Mr. Adam Serfass has had a great and positive impact on my life. On the first day of my intro to agriculture class, I could see the utter passion he has for success and wanted to learn from him. I quickly learned that he is the type of person to never sugarcoat anything, but if you ever need him for anything, he will do his very best. He taught me so many things about science, agriculture and life, but the biggest lesson I learned from him is that you can never be too busy."

What others say: "Talk to any adviser, teacher, or coach that knows Connor and you will hear a similar story. He is one of the most genuinely kind, hardworking and dedicated students I've had the pleasure of knowing. During his free time away from varsity football, Connor has embraced his leadership role in the FFA and has had success at the national level in multiple career development events." - John Siefert, FFA adviser

Future plans: "After high school, I plan to attend a four-year college with a double major of biology and Spanish with a pre-medical track. I then would like to go to medical school and become a pediatrician or pediatric surgeon."